After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson


After Tupac and D Foster: Life for Neeka and her best friend was uneventful until D Foster moved into their Queens neighborhood. Soon they were fast friends and a new world of ideas, music, and purpose opens up to them. Captures the girls' passage from childhood to adolescence and shows the power of friendship and searching for your own 'big purpose' in life.

Narrated by one of the friends (who remains unnamed throughout the book), this title 'rings true' to the experiences and emotions of the pre-teen and early teenage years. Jacqueline Woodson has captured the girls' passage from childhood to adolescence in language and experiences that your students or child will certainly relate to.

At heart, this title is about the power and impact of friendships on shaping your world view and finding your own 'big purpose' in life. D Foster is only in the girls' lives for a short time, but her is significant and meaningful for the two friends.

There are two covers available for After Tupac and D Foster--basically just slight variations of the same look (see above).

After Tupac and D-Foster Reading Level:

Interest Level:  Grade 5-9
Grade Level Equivalent:  4.6
Lexile Measure:  750L

Awards won for this book:

2009 Newbery Medal
Josette Frank Award
American Library Association Award


After Tupac and D Foster Lesson / Activity Ideas

What Is Your Big Purpose?
This book surely gets kids thinking about their own 'Big Purpose'. A good reflection activity to have students do after reading this book is to have them write about their own Big Purpose. It's a very tough concept, one that most adults still struggle with, so this is likely not an appropriate assignment for all students. But for students who are ready for it, it can be a powerful way to deepen the experience of reading this book.

Publisher's Guide/Suggestions
Penguin Books, the publisher, has created a downloadable document that will be a great help for teachers looking to use this book in the classroom.  The download lists 12 activities to go with this book as well as 16 good discussion questions.  To access this free guide, click here:  After Tupac and D Foster discussion/activity guide